


make my heart beat

by doridoripawaa



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, LGBTQ Character, Monster Hunters, Monsters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-01-31 15:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21448270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doridoripawaa/pseuds/doridoripawaa
Summary: Edelgard von Hresvelg is the proud imperial princess of the Adrestian Empire, but she also has another powerful role: that of a monster hunter. In a world where monsters are supposed to have been eradicated, she seeks to reveal the truth and liberate humanity. Who would have thought that her greatest ally would be a vampire she was supposed to kill?
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 11
Kudos: 108





	1. edge of dawn

_ “Give her back!” _

_ An ear-splitting screech resounded through the battlefield, distinguishable even among the din of warfare surrounding them.  _

_ Nevertheless, the two in the center of the field, leading the charge, seemed to be suspended in their own little world. _

_ “Oh, how I wish I could,” the man sneered as he stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the slash of a sword. “But I have plans to ensure that you never see So-” _

_ “You will not dare to speak her name!” The green-haired warrior interrupted him. For a brief moment, in her rage, her eyes flashed scarlet. Quickly they flickered back to a humanly hazel, but they still conveyed her anguished anger in their depths. She let out another wail as she charged forward with her blade, slicing frantically. “You will atone for what you have done… with your life!” _

_ “You mustn’t focus on me, Lady Seiros!” The man began to cackle as he parried one of the woman’s blows. The clash of steel hitting steel reverberated through the air. “If you are not quick, then your mother will be burned until there is nothing left!” _

_ “Nothing left?” Seiros echoed, narrowing her eyes. Now, she was the one who seemed amused by their exchange of verbal and physical strikes. She sidestepped a slice that cast a sharp gust of wind smacking into her pale face. “That is where you are wrong, Nemesis. My men already found her body.” _

_ “Then you know that nothing is left to salvage, Lady Seiros.” The contempt in his voice was practically tangible. "How long will you keep acting strong? How long will you keep acting for these human fools?" Nemesis leaped backward, although his eyes betrayed a flicker of fear. Seiros’ confidence was… nothing short of disturbing. _

_ “Do not doubt the power of the progenitor!” Seiros cried out. She lunged forward and Nemesis stepped to the side, only to find himself hip to hip with Seiros. The warrior had whirled around in a spin move, as nimbly as leaves dancing on the breeze. Her feint caught him off guard, and he was unable to react in time before her sword finally pierced through his chest. _

_ Coughing, spluttering, grasping for the woman before him whose eyes glowed with murderous intent, Nemesis fell to the ground. "Seiros stepped forward and pressed her heel deep into his stomach. “You will pay for what you have done,” she hissed. “A thousand times over! I’m sure you remember the Red Canyon, but you must know… You missed her heart.” His eyes, as fraught as they were with pain and panic, grew wide and focused directly onto Seiros. _

_ “That… cannot be…” _

_ “She will not burn,” Seiros whispered, and a malicious grin spread across her lips. Her sharp canines glistened in the faint rosy glow of the sun. Gracefully she leaned forward until her lips brushed against Nemesis’ ear. “But you will." _

_ "I know… what you are…" he wheezed, staring up at her with red eyes burning with malice. Their flame, however, was starting to flicker. "That truth will not die with me. We are the same. You are a filthy v--" _

_ "We are not the same!" The woman cut him off with a snarl, her fangs gleaming. "Die now, Nemesis.” She drew back and spat on the ground, as if disgusted with herself for coming so close to her enemy. “Die! Die!”  _

_ Once. Twice. Three times. Seiros yanked her sword out of Nemesis’ flailing body and thrust it back into his flesh and bones, again and again. Her hunger would never be satiated, her grief never subsided, but she could at least make the most of this moment. _

_ After a series of crazed and cold stabs, Seiros drew a small weapon from the belt on her hilt. A humble wooden stake rested in her calloused palm. “Die now, King of Liberation.” She scoffed at the last word and smirked at the last strike. “Do not fret. I, for one, will not miss.” _

_ One plunge was all it took to end the monster's life. With a soft sigh, Seiros raised her bloodied hands up to her face, and she gently began to lap at the green stains. She needed to calm her bloodlust, now that the deed was done. The war had come to a standstill; all eyes were focused on Seiros and the bloody vampire corpse before her. However, she was not concerned with their gazes, delighted and despairing alike, from both sides of the battlefield. Only one thought occupied her mind: _

_ Her mother could rest in peace, at last… for now. _

* * *

“Here in cherished halls, in peaceful days…”

In the otherwise still morning, a single whisper cast a ripple throughout the silence. The stars twinkled from their lofty perch in the sky, their glow meager in comparison to the moon that seemed to smirk down at the cathedral that attempted to reach, with all its height and might, towards the heavens above.

On her walk throughout these unfamiliar grounds that she would now call home, the young mercenary had not expected to see anyone else awake. If she had expected to see anyone else were roaming around at this hour, she may have guessed to spot her father, but even he was reluctant to wake up for their earliest missions.

A silver hue bathed the stones and gravel that paved the bridge between the main hall and the cathedral. The imposing structure looming before her somehow seemed otherworldly in this luminescent light, as if a goddess actually had placed this building onto Fòdlan's surface. Without a doubt, any believer would find their faith reaffirmed by such a heavenly vision. 

Yet Byleth Eisner's eyes were locked onto an even more mesmerizing sight.

Platinum hair shining in the moonlight and pale skin glittering like the stars, a young woman stood at the edge of the bridge, standing straight and tall as if trying to look out into the distance as far as she could see. However, her eyes were closed, as her soft voice continued its song.

“I fear the edge of dawn…”

Byleth tilted her head backward to gaze up at the sky once more, and she raised her eyebrows at the sight of pink and red streaks beginning to crisscross at the horizon. Now the sun was beginning to rise, and surely the rest of the residents of Garreg Mach monastery would follow. The edge of dawn was upon them.

"Knowing time betrays…"

Chirps began to chime in the air, reverberating around the stone archway that stood above her head. As the birds began to take flight and call out to each other and the world began to wake, Byleth steeled herself for her upcoming consultation. She had an early meeting with Lady Rhea, in preparation for her first day at her new job. The teenager before her seemed to be aware of this fact as well, because her eyelids began to flutter open. 

Instinctively, Byleth stepped to the side, obscuring herself from the girl's view. After a moment or two, she stepped out again, walking as nonchalantly as possible. Byleth would be the first to admit that she was not well-versed in church etiquette, but surely staring was at the top of the list of things that she should avoid. She passed by the girl wordlessly, although she could not help but notice that her hair was still bright white, even now that the warm, golden hues of the sun were beginning to coat the sky. 

**“Is that color… natural?” ** A sharp, skeptical voice resounded inside Byleth’s head and rumbled deep in her chest. A voice that had accompanied her for some time now, but one that still surprised her from time to time. At this moment in time, however, Byleth was too focused on the bizarre beauty before her to bother herself with these internal ramblings.

Was it any more natural than the sweet and somber sound of this girl's song?

"Surprised to see you up this early." A familiar voice reached Byleth's ears, and she turned around to face a man whose scars seemed to melt away with the warmth of his smile. "Although, Lady Rhea is waiting for you." He reached up to scratch the back of his head, a slight frown tugging at his lips. When he glanced at his daughter again, though, that gentle smile returned. "Come on, kid. You don't want to be late for your first day."

She certainly could not miss her meeting with the archbishop.

* * *

Somehow, even the echoes from the main hall did not feel as empty as the hollow ring that sounded on the second floor of the monastery.

Rhea’s presence illuminated the room, though, and the warm glow in her eyes could not even be surpassed by the sunlight filtering through the windows behind her. They cast her white robe in an ethereal, heavenly glow.

‘Fitting,’ Byleth thought absent-mindedly as she walked into the center of the room, where Seteth stood with what she assumed to be his usual disappointed look. That scowl had not left his visage ever since she had first encountered the man.

“Good morning, child,” Rhea cooed, taking a step forward. “I appreciate your coming here so early. As much as I wish we could spend more time to prepare you, we need another professor for our third class.” She cast her soul-searching gaze up and down, left and right, taking in Byleth’s entire being. “I think I know which class I would like for you to teach, but first… do you have any questions about the Church of Seiros in general?” She turned her attention to smile at Jeralt, although that smile somehow felt less sincere than the ones she gave Byleth. “Has your father taught you much about the faith?”

Upon seeing the young new professor shake her cerulean locks, Rhea’s face took on a sorrowful look for a quick second. It vanished as suddenly as it appeared, though, and she simply nodded at Seteth while she stood with that hollow smile.

“Right. Here at Garreg Mach monastery, we are the central hub for the faith of Fodlan. We pay homage to our benevolent goddess with prayer every day, but the Church itself is named for Saint Seiros, who slew the wicked Nemesis, the vampire king and king of the monsters.”

“Monsters?” Byleth echoed. Her tone was level and her ashen face as expressionless as ever, but her gaze began to travel to her father, as if seeking his support.

For perhaps the very first time, Jeralt saw a flicker of fear in his daughter’s red eyes.

“Yes. Nearly one thousand years ago, Seiros and Nemesis engaged in a ferocious battle for the fate of Fòdlan. Would humanity be free to rule themselves, or would monsters trample the people and keep humanity enslaved in their clutches?” A twinkle appeared in his eye. “Fortunately, the church, led by Saint Seiros and the other children of the goddess, was able to claim victory. Now we need not worry about vampires, werebeasts, fairies, elves, goblins, trolls, or any of those ancient races that terrorized humankind.” For the first time, Byleth thought she saw amusement on Seteth’s face. “Of course, we try not to speak ill of the dead around here.”

Rhea opened her mouth as if to speak, but instead she squeaked out a cough. “We would certainly pray for their souls if they had any,” she murmured in agreement. “I would love to tell you more about the goddess, another time, but first, I must tell you about the students of the Black Eagle House.”

Black Eagles. What a… surprisingly fierce name for students at a monastery.

“The Black Eagle House is where those who hail from the Adrestian Empire spend their days,” Seteth began, as if on cue. “The head of their class is actually the imperial princess.”

“Edelgard von Hresvelg,” Rhea went on. Seteth stepped back, giving the archbishop the floor to speak. “A bright and talented young woman, with quite a future ahead of her.” Although she was clearly speaking to Byleth and seemingly looking at her, her eyes seemed to be staring past her at… something else. “I trust you to lead her, and the rest of her class, well.”

“I…” Byleth paused. “I will do my best.” What else could she say with confidence? She certainly should not make promises to Rhea that she could not keep.

Rhea’s gaze seemed to snap back to the present and she gave Byleth that gentle smile again, like a mother looking at her child. “I have no doubt that you will. May the goddess light your path.”

* * *

Vampires.

Werewolves.

Fairies.

Elves.

Goblins.

Trolls.

How many books could Byleth request to withdraw from the library without upsetting the staff?

Scattered out on a table before her were piles of books, each one centered around a different breed of monster. Monsters that only revealed themselves under the full moon. Monsters that openly revealed themselves. Monsters that lived under the sea. Monsters that lived in forests. Monsters that consumed roots and berries. Monsters that consumed flesh and blood. Supposedly, every single one of them was eliminated during the battle at the Tailtean Plains or fled after Nemesis’ defeat.

That could not be the end of the story, but that’s where every text ended. Picture books for children, novels for adolescents, and even history books for professors all reached the same conclusion: when the war ended, the monsters did too.

Could the church have truly slain every werewolf with a silver blade? Could they have dried up every mermaid? Could they have branded every fairy with an iron? 

Could they have stabbed every vampire through their still, lifeless heart with a wooden stake?

**“Monsters? Dead? That’s absurd.”**

Byleth nearly jumped when a sneer echoed inside of her for the second time that day. “You don’t need to tell me twice,” the blue-haired professor muttered under her breath. She did not exactly appreciate the sass when she was trying to study and gather information.

**“They were hiding something.”**

“Pardon?” Byleth momentarily stopped flipping through the pages in front of her, landing on an image of a grotesque troll with jagged teeth and brandishing a club like a barbarian.

**“Of course! I know as surely as the blood running through our veins that— oh, wait!”**

A piercing laugh made Byleth’s entire body quiver and shake. Byleth’s eyes narrowed, and tenderly she bit her lip. As thoughts swirled inside her head, she gingerly reached over to slide the candle at the edge of her book a little further away, sending its light into the distance. Sending the life-giving but life-stealing flame as far from her ashen hands as possible. Her arm brushed over the surface of the book and accidentally turned several pages, perhaps even a chapter or two. A new image stood before her in the flickering candlelight, and the mere sight of it made Byleth bite down in her shock until her canine teeth drew blood from her pale lips. One drop of sickeningly green blood.

**“If the Church truly had killed every vampire, then that means they would have gotten a hold of us!”**

The vampire on the page stared at the vampire in the library. When the two locked eyes, Byleth swiftly and firmly slammed her book shut, earning herself a sharp shush from the librarian in the corner.

* * *

_ “Here in cherished halls, _

_ In peaceful days, _

_ I fear the edge of dawn _

_ Knowing time betrays.” _


	2. edelgard von hresvelg

Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. One hundred.

Gently placing her brush back down upon her desk, the princess rose to her feet with a particularly pleased expression on her face. She gingerly ran her fingers through her long, thin white hair, which felt silky after a thorough brushing.

“Daylights pass through colored glass   
In this beloved place.   
Silver shines, the world dines,   
A smile on each face.”

Humming softly to herself, she walked over to her closet and plucked her cape off a hook in the wall. With a dramatic flourish, she cast the red sheet over her shoulder, grinning as it sent a sharp gust that tickled her face. However, the billowing cape behind her had managed to ruffle her hair slightly, and she hastily scrambled back over to her mirror to brush her long snowy locks back into place. Noticing that one of her purple bows was starting to fall loose already, she reached up with a huff and firmly pulled on the ends of the ribbon. 

“Perfect,” she cooed, and she spun in a circle to make her cape flap about her once more. Her first week of this school year at Garreg Mach had been rather peaceful and uneventful, and she had settled into her routines by now. Still, her favorite part of the day was the early morning when she was all alone in her room and could simply be Edelgard. Not Edelgard von Hresvelg, imperial princess, or Edelgard von Hresvelg, head of the Black Eagle House, or even Edie, which her coy classmate Dorothea enjoyed calling her when she was teasing her or trying to be (overly, Edelgard might add) friendly and familiar. Edelgard did not need to meet anyone’s political, academic, or social expectations when alone in her quarters every morning.

“As joy surrounds, comfort abounds   
and I can feel I'm breaking free.   
For just this moment lost in time,   
I am finally me.”

Nevertheless, part of her wished she had someone to share these intimate moments with her. A part of her that she stubbornly insisted died a long time ago. Visions of sisters flashed before her eyes, brushing each other's hair and decorating each other's faces with makeup. Edelgard scowled slightly and then shook her head to clear her mind; she did not shake vigorously enough to disturb her hair, though.

A soft rap sounded upon her door. Edelgard continued her humming and grabbed her boots off of the floor of her closet. She plopped herself down on top of her bed and carefully slid her boots onto her stocking-clad feet.

Another knock at the door, fiercer this time. The gentle echoes that sounded in her room prompted her to stop singing. With a sigh, Edelgard shoved her other foot into its boot and strode over to the door. The time had come for her day to start, and for her to wear her mask once again. The time had come to be Edelgard von Hresvelg.

"Hubert," she greeted her retainer with a smile. He smiled back at her, his thin, pale lips curling upward into what she knew to be an expression of genuine pleasure, but to others probably conveyed some sort of malicious intent.

Then again, with Hubert, the two were not mutually exclusive.

Grass-green eyes flitted around the room, while nose and lips remained pursed in a neutral expression. However, when that gaze came to rest upon Edelgard’s dresser and the accessories scattered about its surface, a flicker of discontent was barely discernible in those cool eyes.

Edelgard knew him well enough to recognize that subtle change in visage, though. “It isn't that bad,” she insisted, feeling a slight blush rush to her cheeks. “Come now, Hubert. We mustn't be late for class.” She took a couple of powerful strides in the direction of the classroom. Calmly she glanced over her shoulder and added, “You can fix it later tonight. I'll give you some coffee beans later, too.”

Seemingly content with this arrangement, Hubert nodded and closed Edelgard’s door. “Very well, Lady Edelgard. I look forward to it.”

That otherworldly green flashed in his eyes once more before he swiftly caught up to stand by the princess's side.

* * *

“Once you've loaded the saddle and secured it into place, the proper way to mount your horse is as follows.” That loud voice carried the professor’s wear and tear of experience as she spoke, but somehow it lacked… authority. It was the voice of someone who knew a lot about the subject matter but was uncertain about how to convey her wisdom to others.

Nevertheless, Edelgard was hooked onto her teacher’s every word, and her quill slid gracefully over the paper as she took notes on the correct means for preparing to ride a horse. She had some experience herself, as a woman of royal birth, but she was always willing to learn how to improve her craft and mechanisms.

After all, she wanted to employ the most efficient means to reach and fulfill her destiny.

“Now, it's important to make sure you have tamed the beast before ever attempting to mount it,” Byleth went on. Edelgard strained to hear her next words, but as soon as the former mercenary turned her back to the class to gesture at the chalkboard again, a sharp hiss sounded in the princess’s ear.

“Beasts, huh?” Dorothea’s soft breath was warm as it whistled against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “Just because they're animals?” Her voice, which usually carried such a carefree, rhythmic lilt to it, was surprisingly stern.

“Do you have a problem with the professor’s teaching, Dorothea?” Edelgard whispered back without even turning her head to look at the opera star. She knew Dorothea had a strong sense of justice and her own ideals of how society should be run; as a commoner, she had been cheated by the incumbent sociopolitical system for her entire life. However, to hear her voice her disapproval so blatantly, and in the middle of class, no less, was somewhat… jarring.

Besides, why would Dorothea be personally invested in how the professor spoke about  _ animals _ ?

The brunette spun the question on its face. “Do you agree with the professor’s teachings?” she countered. Her tone was not accusatory, just mildly curious, but Edelgard still felt her skin begin to prickle. “I mean, you are writing down notes  _ awfully  _ diligently. You must be totally entranced with our dear professor~”

Now Edelgard could not prevent herself from whipping her neck around to bore her gaze directly into Dorothea’s mischievous green eyes. A fox-like smirk sat upon her lips as she evenly met Edelgard’s burning expression. “My personal feelings are besides the point. I am here to learn,” she told the songstress with as level of a voice as she could muster. “Besides… my beliefs are my own. Edelgard von Hresvelg submits to no one.”

Dorothea raised her hands defensively and leaned back in her chair. Her curls danced around her face as she pulled back, sending a waft of rose-scented perfume dancing through the air. “Don't be like that, Edie~” she murmured, barely suppressing a laugh. “You know I'm just teasing~”

“... Arnault. Miss Arnault.”

Both girls’ attention snapped to the front of the room, where Byleth stood with her arms folded over her chest. “Your answer, Miss Arnault?”

As Petra began to scribble something fiercely onto her parchment and Dorothea tried to craft an answer, Hubert leaned in towards Edelgard from his seat on her opposite side. “Are you alright, Lady Edelgard?” he asked, his voice eerily low and laced with malice. “If that mutt proves to be a problem for you, I can-”

“That will be unnecessary, Hubert,” Edelgard whispered. She could still feel her heart pounding against the inside of her ribcage, and she was fairly certain that her cheeks were still as red as the banner that decorated their classroom walls. “Dorothea is my friend.” Although she would never openly admit it, Dorothea had just made a complete fool of her, though. How did Edelgard go from mocking the brunette’s personal reaction to becoming so personally fired up herself? “She will be useful, in any event, so leave her be.”

Edelgard glanced up at the chalkboard so that she could hastily make note of the points she had missed. As Byleth moved about the front of the classroom, continuing her instruction on riding techniques, Edelgard, despite herself, was admittedly impressed by her calm, collected demeanor even after interrogating Dorothea. Did she ever get inflamed by minor provocations? Did her heart ever pound like a flustered schoolgirl’s?

‘Of course not,’ the princess thought somewhat bitterly. ‘That's why she's known as the Ashen Demon.’

Edelgard, on the contrary, did not feel her heartbeat become steady again until the class drew to its conclusion.

* * *

Apologizing was not the easiest thing for the imperial princess to do.

She never planned to put herself in anyone’s debt, nor to show any signs of weakness.

However, she would not be able to rest until she had formally apologized to the professor for interrupting her class earlier that week. She also hoped to sneak in a private lesson with the professor, too. Since only seven students had appeared at class today, Edelgard had elected to participate in a group of three with Hubert and Ferdinand, but those two became so absorbed in some personal rivalry that Edelgard herself never obtained the opportunity to practice their new sword technique. 

‘Watching Hubert wield a sword was rather amusing, though,’ she thought, and a small smile crept onto her face. ‘He's brilliant at dark magic and even sneaky with a bow, but when it comes to brute strength…’

Twinkling white light poured in from the stars and moon outside, casting soft shadows in the gardens as Edelgard made her way towards the professor’s quarters. Now that classes had all concluded for the day, she would finally have the opportunity to speak to Byleth alone.

“Professor?” Edelgard asked coolly as she knocked three times on her door. After waiting for a moment, she knocked again. “Professor?” she repeated, a little louder this time. She began to tap her foot impatiently. Still no response. 

No voice, no footsteps, no signs of life.

“Where could she be?” Edelgard muttered under her breath. She pressed her ear against the wooden door, and still she could not pick up on any shuffling, scurrying, or even snoring. With a defeated sigh she stepped back and folded her arms over her chest. “Maybe she's grabbing supper,” she mused, and she decidedly spun on her heel and headed off to the dining hall.

En route to her destination, a familiar barking laugh traveled along the breeze to her ears. Edelgard arched an eyebrow and stepped off her path to head in the direction of its source. The young woman rolled her eyes as she strolled upon the exact scene she expected to see: a certain flirty brunette was chatting up another one of their classmates in a gazebo. She was, however, surprised to see just whom Dorothea was engaging. Claude von Reigan, heir to the leading house of the Leicester Alliance. While it was not unlike Dorothea to attempt to woo every noble with a pulse, Claude was unusually… shifty. He always had a glint in his eyes that he was up to no good, and rumors around the monastery posited that he brewed and bartered his own poisons and potions. Why would Dorothea spend her time sweet-talking someone so sneaky and secretive?

“Oh Claude, you shouldn't joke like that,” Dorothea giggled as she tossed her dark curls over her shoulder playfully. “Messing with a girl like me could get you cursed for a thousand years!” Suddenly her nose twitched and she turned her head to gaze beyond the wooden walls at Edelgard. “Oh, Edie! It's not like you to wander around so late. You're always studying or training when I ask you to hang out at night,” she observed, and her red lips puckered into a pout.

“Ah, Your Highness!” Claude bowed from the waist in a seemingly respectful manner, but the grin on his face and his exaggerated tone suggested otherwise. “To what do we owe the honor?”

Scheming as always. The defensive nature in Edelgard began to bubble up as she worried for what trouble Dorothea might mistakenly walk into, but she forced her misgivings down. She was not one to be swayed by rumors, and her friend was more than capable of taking care of herself. “Good evening to you too, Dorothea, Claude. I'm actually searching for Professor Byleth,” she replied coolly but cordially. “I had some questions for her regarding our class today, among other things.”

“Other things?” Dorothea echoed, and she nudged Claude playfully. “Claude, didn't you say Edie here tried to recruit the professor the day she met her?”

Claude winked and elbowed Dorothea back. “She did, she did,” he confirmed. “Dorothea, didn't you say Her Highness actually smiled when Teach entered your classroom on the first day?”

“What exactly are you two implying?” Edelgard snapped, feeling her cheeks begin to grow hot as if sunlight were blazing on them. In this nighttime lit only by the moon and stars, though, she knew that could not be the reason for her face getting so warm. “If neither of you have seen her, I will resume my search elsewhere. Good night, now. See you tomorrow, Dorothea.”

“Actually, I heard she goes to the library at night sometimes,” Claude offered.

Edelgard stopped in her tracks. As shifty as he was, at least Claude von Reigan was resourceful. What a shame he was not part of her class. “Thank you,” she called behind her with a wave as she spun around towards the main hall and the monastery staircase. As soon as she was out of their sight, she began to pick up her pace, white hair streaming behind her as she practically sprinted for the second floor.

* * *

Edelgard was beginning to feel less sorry about Claude not being a member of the Black Eagles.

‘She is  _ not _ here!’ Edelgard thought bitterly. Her lavender gaze flickered rapidly around the room, taking in all the students, soldiers, and staff that were present. Those apathetic azure eyes were nowhere to be seen, but she did espy another familiar face from her class.

“Linhardt,” she greeted him in a chilly tone. “You were not in class today.”

Unfazed by her aloof demeanor, the green-haired boy simply replied, “That is correct.”

Edelgard frowned and grabbed a seat so that she could sit and face him from the opposite side of the table. His eyes were locked onto the pages of the book in front of him, though, rendering her harsh gaze utterly useless. “Do you not realize how that inconveniences the rest of us?”

Without looking up, he merely retorted, “Do the rest of you not realize how it inconveniences me to attend a sparring class? I have no use for weapons training.” He paused to turn the page of his book. He scanned over the diagram on the page with particular interest. “Quite frankly, it would inconvenience you more to have me there, fumbling around.”

“As a member of the Adrestian Empire, you really ought to…” Edelgard’s voice trailed off as she realized Linhardt was completely absorbed in whatever he was reading and not paying her any attention. “Linhardt von Hevring!” she snapped, her patience wearing thin.

Linhardt slowly lifted his head and blinked his droopy cerulean eyes at her. “I mean no disrespect, Edelgard,” he assured her, although something about his sleepy visage seemed to undermine his authenticity. “I just want to use my time in the best manner possible. Time is precious, after all.”

Edelgard tapped her fingertips against the surface of the desk. “Then whatever you are reading must be extremely important,” she murmured, a challenge lurking at the edge of her statement. “Mind if I take a look?”

“Help yourself,” Linhardt offered, and he leaned back so that she could view the pages more easily. Edelgard reached out and turned the side of the book so that she could view the text and images more easily. She cocked her neck to the side as she realized what exactly she was reading. “Werewolves?” 

“Not just werewolves,” Linhardt said with a trace of impatience in his usually placid tone. “Werebeasts. People can transform into other animals, too, such as cats, bears, and foxes. Although foxes would technically be kitsunes,” he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I have never actually heard of a werefox.”

“ _ Can _ ,” Edelgard repeated softly. “You said  _ can _ , not  _ could _ .” Her heart began to quicken its pace as she processed the implications of that word. Did he know? How could he know? How much did he know?

“A keen observation,” Linhardt replied calmly, and a yawn followed his terse words as if he found the subject to be entirely uninteresting.

From Edelgard’s perspective, this was the most intriguing thing she had learned at Garreg Mach. “You believe monsters still exist, then?” she pressed, trying trying to garner as much information as she possibly could without raising his suspicions.

Linhardt suddenly looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time. He actually appeared to be interested and engaged, for once in his life. “I am building a theory, and that theory is still incomplete,” he confessed. He dropped his voice to barely above a whisper, so that Edelgard had to lean forward and strain to hear him. “Yet I have concluded this much: Monsters are among us.”

To devout believers of the Church of Seiros, that belief would constitute heresy. If Rhea had heard him, she may have expelled him. If Seteth had heard him, he might have given him detention. If Manuela had heard him, she would have admitted him to the infirmary. If Hanneman had heard him, he would have scolded him for contradicting his life’s work on monster history. If Byleth had heard him…

How would Byleth have reacted?

“What led you to that conclusion?” Edelgard murmured, willing her pounding heart to steady itself before Linhardt caught wind. 

“The odds of every monster being eradicated in one battle? Impossible.” Linhardt waved his hand dismissively. “The odds of every monster in Fòdlan fleeing upon Nemesis’s defeat? Unreasonable. They had built lives here, established homes, raised families....” He yawned once more. “The more likely explanation is that they went into hiding.”

Linhardt must have undergone many nights of studying in the library to piece these inferences together. Edelgard had searched the entire monastery grounds more than once for every book, journal, or diary entry she could find on the topic of monster lore, history, anatomy, or anything even remotely pertinent to monsters. Considering the church's history with the supernatural, the selection available was pitifully slim. “So where are they now? Still hiding?”

“Of course. Nearly 1000 years have passed. Can you imagine if someone saw a fairy waltz into their classroom today?” Linhardt picked up the book and began to trace his fingers along the words etched carefully into the pages. “But magic can only hide so much. When you hear of superhuman strength, bizarre food cravings, abnormally dry skin, or mysterious illness on the full moon… don't you think of trolls? Vampires? Mermaids?” He spun the book around. “Werebeasts? Who else would have an allergy to silver?” Having finally said his piece, he brushed his long green bangs out of his face and blinked at Edelgard, as if awaiting her response. She simply sat in place, as still as a statue, her hands clenched into fists and her gaze lost in the distance. Her knuckles were as white as her hair, and her cheeks looked just as pale, too. “Well, I'm off to bed,” he declared at last. He shoved his chair back and rose to his feet. “Thanks for listening to my theory. I suggest you sleep soon, too.”

As Linhardt walked away, Edelgard tried to rein in the thoughts running amok in her head. Linhardt was dangerously bright. “I… I have to warn Hubert,” she murmured, and that single thought seemed to snap her out of her trance. “I owe him coffee beans, anyway.”

Why couldn't she move?

She already knew monsters still swarmed the continent. She had learned it the moment her father placed an axe in her young hands. She had heard the voices whisper about monsters as she lay curled up in darkness, her senses eager to pick up on any signs of life to distract her from her solitude. She had seen the werewolf head plastered onto the wall of her bedroom in Enbarr, reminding her of her duty. She had known the weight of her destiny, her path, when she set forth for classes at Garreg Mach monastery: the belly of the beast.

She had confirmed it when she looked into Rhea’s icy eyes and they flashed blood red.

So why was it so startling to hear it from someone else?

‘He knew something you didn't,’ she realized. That was why she had been so unsettled. ‘He believes monsters are hiding among our classmates.’ She had been raised to seek out the subtle signs that could betray someone’s supernatural heritage, and yet…

Who else was lying to her face? Which of her classmates would she have to strike down on her path? Edelgard began to thumb numbly through the book that Linhardt had left behind.  _ Werewolves: Moonlit Monsters. Leprechauns: Gold Grabbers. Sirens: Femme Fatales. Imps: Tiny Terrors. Vampires: _

This one caught Edelgard by surprise. The epithet for once was not marked with catchy alliteration. On the contrary, it just spat out the cold, hard, lifeless truth. 

_ Ashen Demons. _

* * *

In a small village at the base of the monastery, an elderly horse whinied weakly as it struggled to lay down for the night. The other horses in the stable were neighing and stomping, still lively in their youth even as their elder already needed to settle down and sleep.

They paid no attention to the blue-haired phantom that slipped in through the window and landed softly, without a sound, on a pile of hay behind the old steed.

And among their shuffling and chattering, nobody heard the feeble cry of pain that escaped the elderly horse's lips as its life slipped away.

Nobody knew until morning, when the culprit was long gone and all that was left was two small puncture wounds on the side of the horse's throat.

The old beast had been tamed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to all of my friends who beta read and helped me work out some of the rough patches!
> 
> Please bear with me! I'm a simple girl who loves vampires and Edeleth, and I'm excited to bring this AU to life!


End file.
